Posted by Bruce H on August 06, 2001 at 09:43:02:
I'm fairly new to this board, only discovering it about 2 weeks ago. To be sure, I have read some interesting comments. I have played tuba for over 30 years and I went to college on a music scholarship in the 70's. I still play in several groups and ensymbals so I try to keep my skills current.
Maybe students have more money now than we did 30 years ago but a lot of people seem to think they have a need for 2 or even 3 different tubas. I see people thinking about getting a F horn or an Eb horn in addition to a CC horn. Is that what it takes to make it as a serious, competitive tuba player now? When people start comparing horns against each other it results in a lot of posts. Playing the tuba is kind of like playing golf. A good player can play with any set of clubs but an expensive set of clubs won't improve the play of a bad player.
When did the push for everyone to play a CC horn start? It seems like if you don't play a CC horn you are not taken for a serious player, regardless of your level of playing skill. I have the pleasure of playing with H.S. and college kids during the summer when they are not in school. Several of them play CC horns. I cannot tell the difference in the sound quality between their shiney, new $9,000 CC horn and my $3,000 BBb horn. Again, I refer to my golf example. One thing I notice is that kids do not play musically anymore. They play everything LOUD. I've always thought that a tuba should be "felt" more than "heard" in an orchestra or band. Nobody goes to a concert to hear the tuba player overpower the violins. Any comments?
I admit that there are a lot of things that I don't know and are confused by. For instance, what are Monster Weights that I see people refer to? They seem to be heavy duty valve caps but what do they do and do they work? Does anybody play with them on their own horn? What other kinds of "aftermarket" items are out there for the tuba?
This is an exciting time to be a tuba player. There are a lot of different horns out on the market and there seems to be more and more opportunities to play now than ever. I enjoy the comments on this board. Good luck to one and all in the future.